Zero-setting device



June 1,1937- R. E. HANDFORD 2,082,749

ZERO- SETTING DEVICE Original Filed July 25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June1, 1937.

R. E, HANDFORD ZERO- SETTING DEVICE Original Filed July 25, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 2.

June 1, 1937. R. E. HANDFORD ZERO-SETTING DEVICE Original Filed July 25,l93l 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 1, 1937.

R. E. HANDFORD ZERO-SETTING DEVICE Original Filed July 25, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 4 June 1, 1937. R. E. HANDFORD 2,032,749

ZERO-SETTING DEVICE Original Filed July 25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 W WQif @414; gaz aa Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES ZERO- SETTING DEVICEReuben Ernest Handford, Luton, England, assignor, by mesne assignments,to L. N.,S. Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareApplication July 25, 1931, Serial No. 553,223 Renewed December 7, 1935In Great Britain September 23, 1930 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in zerosetting devices: moreparticularly to apparatus for the retailing of petrol. The invention isconcerned with apparatus of the kind in which the zeroizing of theindicator is effected by a fork member which can be moved to engage androtate a cam connected to the indicator.

The main object of the present invention is to provide improved meanswhich shall ensure that, when once the indicator has commenced to moveto its zero positon, it shall complete its movement.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereinFigures 1 and 2 jointly constitute a'vertical sectional view, Figure 2being an' upward continuation of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elevation atright angles to Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with afront cover and dial removed; Figure 5 is a sectional elevation andFigure 6 is a plan view showing a variable velocity ratio device appliedto the liquid measuring apparatus shown in Figures 1-4.

Referring firstly to Figures 1-4, I indicates generally a fluid flowresponsive device which is actuated by fluid delivered thereto through apipe 2, and 3 indicates a spindle which is driven by the device andwhich actuates in a manner hereinafter described a spindle 4 and aconcentric sleeve 5 having pointers 6, 1 respectively thereon. Thepointers move overa dial 8* callbrated in gallons and separately infractions of a gallon, the pointer 6 moving through one completerevolution for each gallon delivered and the pointer I moving when thedial is calibrated to read up to 20 gallons through one twentieth of arevolution for each gallon delivered.

In order to zeroize of the pointers when it is desired to reset themeter, the following mechanism is provided. The spindle 4 and the sleeve5 are provided with cams 8, 9, of the shape shown in Figure 4 adapted tobe engaged by a fork member l0 secured to the lower end of a rod H whichhas a reduced portion l2 formed therein to form a shoulder normallyengaged by three detents l3 under urgency of springs M. The upper end ofthe rod is enlarged to form a head l5 against which abuts one end of acompression spring 16 whose other end abuts against a block I! adaptedto form an operating knob or for con nection to an operating lever (notshown). The enlarged end l5 of the rod works in, and the compressionspring I6 is housed within, the upper portion of a tubular member l8secured to the block l1 while the lower portion of the tubular member isreduced in outer and bore diameter,

lar piston 22 located within an oil-containing.

the latter constituting a guide for the upper portion of the rod belowthe head.

The reduction in the outer diameter of the lower portion of the tubularmember provides a shoulder against which abuts the upper end of a returncompression spring [9 whose lower end abuts against an inturned flange20 formed 'on the lower end of a tube 2| which constitutes a housing forthe return spring and at its upper end a guide for the unreduced portionof the tubular member l8, the extremity of the lower end of the reducedportion ofthe tubular member l8 being adapted to engage androck thedetents A clashpot is provided comprising an annuannular reservoir23'formed between the outer Wall of the tube 2| and the inner wall of asecond tube 24, and secured by a ring 25 which screws on to the upperend of the tube 2|. The piston is formed with one or more passages 26extending completely therethrough and is connected to the block H byrods 2]. Thus, the rate of movement of the block I1 and its associatedparts is determined by the rate at which oil can pass through thepassages 26 from one side of the piston 22 to the other. pacton thedetents l3. 1

In operation, to zeroize the indicator pointers 6 and I the tubularmember I8 is moved downwardly at a rate controlled by the dashpot andboth springs l6 and I9 are compressed, the one between the block H andthe enlarged head IS on the rod H (which is held stationary by thedetents) and the other between the tubular member l8 and the inturnedflange 20 on the fixed tube 2|. After the tubular member l8 has beenmoved a predetermined distance, the lower extremity of the reducedportion thereof engages with and rocks the detents l3 away from theshoulder on the rod II which is thereby released and urged downwardly bythe spring I6 acting on the head I5 on the rod H. The jaw of the fork inthe descent thereof engages the cams which latter are of course, in theposition of registration of the pointers, displaced from the positionshown in Figure 4 into a position in which they lie in the path of thefork; thus, when engagement has been effected, the continued movement ofthe fork will cause the cam to be returned to the position shown inFigure 4 and thus the indicator pointers are returned to their zeroposition.

When pressure'on the block fl is removed, the return spring l9 causesthe tubular member l8 to rise to its normal position, the membercarrying the rod H with it by virtue of the engagement The dash pot alsoprevents undue imof the shoulder formed by the reduction in borediameter of the member with the underside of the head IS on the rod Ii,the rod again being held by the detents i3 which move into engagementwith the shoulder thereon.

It will be seen that the zeroizing fork is retained by the detents untilreleased by the tubular member Hi. It will also be seen that when oncereleased the fork is permitted to move quickly into zeroizin g positionunder the action of the spring l6, while the return of the member, whichin turn effects the return of the fork, is delayed or slowed down by thedashpot, thus insuring that when once the fork commences to move toeifect its zeroizing operation, the zeroizing movement shall becompleted.

The tube 2| is screwed to a block 28 which is screwed into the casing 29of the apparatus and also forms a housing for the detents l3 the tube 24being positioned at its lower end by a reduced portion of the block 28.

The drive from the spindle 3 to the pointers is effected in thefollowing manner. The spindle 3 is provided with a pinion 30 whichtransmits drive through reduction gearing 3! to a spindle 32 having askew gearwheel 33 .in-mesh with a skew gear 34 on a spindle 35. Thisspindle is provided with a skew gear 36 in mesh with a skew gear 31 onthe spindle 4 carrying the pointer 6 and also with a worm 38 in meshwith a Worm wheel 39 on a spindle 40 having a skew gear 4| in mesh witha skew gear 42 on the sleeve 5 carrying the pointer I the worm and wheeleffecting a speed reduction of 20*1 of the sleeve 5 as compared with thespindle 4.

In order to allow the pointers to be zeroized without a correspondingmovement of the liquid flow responsive device, the drive from the deviceto the pointers is effected throughiriction clutches 43, 44 which areinterposed between the skew gears 31, 42 and the spindle 4 and sleeve 5respectively, the clutches enabling the drive to be transmitted to thepointers from the fluid flow responsive device and also enabling thepointers to be zeroized independently of the device.

The fluid flow responsive device preferably is of the kind known as therotary gyratory piston type and comprises a piston 45 which has a pin 46constrained to follow a circular path by a central bowl 4'! and anannular ring 48, and which receives a vane secured to the casing 49,piston performing rotary gyratory movements and uncovering and coveringinlet ports in communication with the pipe 2and outlet ports incommunication with a discharge pipe 50. The pin 46 is extended to engagea disc 5! on the spindle 3 whereby the movements of the piston aretransmitted as movements of rotation of the spindle 3.

The skew gear 33 on the spindle 32 is also in mesh with a second skewgear 52 which through a worm 53 effects the actuation of a countingmechanism 54.

The invention may obviously be applied to mechanisms having only asingle pointer such as the pointer I, only a single zeroizing cam beingprovided.

accents two members and secured thereto by a rivet 59. The spindle 55 isrotatabiy mounted in a bracket Bil which is pivotally mounted onbushings El, 62 secured respectively in a cranked arm 53 and a frame 54to which the arm 63 is secured; the spindle 32 which is to be driven isrotatably mounted in the bushes E I, 52, and is provided with a gearwheel 65 in mesh with the gear teeth on the ring 58 secured to theconical members.

The spindle 3 is provided with two discs denoted generally by A, B,which are engaged by the coned members and it will be seen that thespindle 3 is located on that side of the spindle 55 which is remote fromthe spindle 32 i. e. of the pivotal of the bracket 50.

The location of the pivotal axis of the bracket 80 in relation to theaxes of the two spindles 3 and 55 is such that the said axis isdisplaced in the direction of rotation at the point of contact betweenthe discs and conical members, from a line C-D passing through the axesof the two spindles 3, 55; we have found that a location which providesan eihcient drive occurs when the angle 0 between a line E, F passingthrough the pivotal axis of the bracket and the axis of the spindle 3,carrying the discs and a line G-H also passing through the pivotal axisof the bracket and the axis of the spindle 55 on which the coned membersare mounted is approximately 10 when the discs and coned members are inengagement at the mean diam.eter of the coned members.

The discs A, B will, by the tangential driving force exerted betweenthemselves and the conical members, tend to move about the pivotal axisof the bracket 60 to increase the radial force urging them into contact,and by arranging the parts with the angle referred to, this tendency isutilized to obtain a maximum of grip without however, introducing thetendency to jam which would occur if the angle were very small, or thetendency to slip if the angle were very large.

The disc A is in the form of a sleeve 66 having a circular flange 6Tthereon to which is secured a ring 68 of fibre or other material havinga high co-eiilcient of friction, the periphery of the ring of fibrebeing coned to be engaged by the coned flange on the sleeve 51. Thesecond disc 13 is similarly constructed, 1. e. it comprises a sleeve 69,a conical flange ID and a ring ll of fibre and the sleeve 69 of thesecond disc is externally screw threaded to receive an internal screwthereof formed on the sleeve 66 of the first disc. The sleeve 69 is alsoscrew threaded internally, the pitch of the internal threads on thissleeve being one half the pitch of the threads externally of the sleeve.The sleeve 66 of the first disc is connected to the spindle 3 so thatthe disc can slide but is prevented from rotating relatively to theshaft; this is effected by pinning to the spindle 3 a sleeve 12 having aprojecting lug I3 constituting a key extending into a keyway formedinternally in the sleeve.

The sleeve 69 of the disc B is similarly connected to the shaft by asleeve 14 provided with an internal keyway 15 which receives a key 16 onthe spindle 3 so that this sleeve 14 can slide but is prevented fromrelative rotation with respect to the spindle. with a projection l!which normally enters any one of a plurality of apertures in the flangeportion 10 of the disc B, the projection 11 being caused to extend intothe apertures by a spring 18 located around the spindle 3 and abuttingat one end against a flange 19 formed on the sleeve This sleeve 14 isprovided 14 and at the other end against a collar 80 screwed on andpinned to the extremity of the spindle 3.

The flange portion 10 of the disc B is provided with bevel teeth 8|which can be engaged by bevel teeth 82 formed on a spindle 83 having anoperating handle 84, the whole forming an adjusting key for varying thevelocity ratio between the discs and coned members the casing of themechanismshown in Figures 1-4 being constructed to enable the adjustingkey to be inserted into adjusting position. 1

The extremity of the spindle 83 is extended beyond the bevel teeththereon and the extended portion is reduced in diameter to enter anaperture 85 formed in the spring pressed sleeve 14, the arrangement ofthe bevel teeth 81 on the flange I0 and the location of the aperture 85being such that when the reduced portion of the spindle 83 is insertedinto its aperture and the spindle is rotated, the sleeve M is by theinitial rotation, slid against the action of its spring 18 to cause theprojection 11 on the sleeve to move outof the apertures in the flangeportion 10 of the disc B. This initial operation allows the disc B to berotated as well as slidden relatively to the spindle 3 and continuedrotation of the adjusting spindle 83 causes the disc to rotate wherebyit is caused to move axially with respect to the spindle on account ofthe screw threads formed internally on the sleeve 69 of the disc B andon the. spindle. causes the disc A to move axially with respect to thespindle 3 on account of the co-operating screw threads formed externallyon the sleeve 7 portion 69 of the disc B and internally on the sleeveportion 66 of the disc A. As the pitch of the screw threads on thespindle 3 and internally on the sleeve portion 69 is one half that ofthe screw threads externally of the said sleeve and internally of thesleeve portion 66, it will be seen. that rotation of the disc B by theadjusting spindle 83. will cause the two discs to move simultaneously"and through equal distances either towards or away from one another sothat the discs are at all times symmetrical about the transverse meancentre line of the coned members. The axial movement of the discseffects a variation in the velocity ratio between'the discs and theconed members and hence between the spindles, which latter are allowed'to accommodate themselves to the adjusted'positions of the discs by thepivotally mounted bracket 60 carrying the spindle 55 on which the, conedmembers are mounted.

Preferably there is provided a spring 86 which supplements the contactpressure between the coned members and discs, the spring being anchoredat one end to the bracket 60 and at the other end to the frame. What Iclaim is: 11 In apparatus of the class described, the combination of anindicating device, means movable between an initial and zeroizingposition for restoring the indicating device to its zero posi-.'

tion, means for biasing the restoring means into zeroizing position, adetent device for retaining the restoring means in its initial position,a zeroizing control -member for releasing the detent device, and adashpot for delaying the return of the restoring means to its initialposition to ensure completion of an initiated zeroizing operation. I

2. In a registering apparatus, the combination of an indicating device,means for restoring The rotation of the disc B also the indicatingdevice to its zero position comprising two cooperating elements one ofwhich is in driving connection withthe indicating device the. second ofwhich is movable between an initial and zeroizing position, meansbiasing the second element into zeroizing cooperation with the firstelement, a detent device normally retaining the second element in itsinitial position, a zeroizing control member which releases the detentdevice, and a dashpot delaying the return of the second element to itsoriginal position to ensure the completion of an initiated zeroizingoperation.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of anindicating device, means for restoring the indicating device to its zeroposition comprising two cooperating elements one of which is in drivingconnection with the indicating device, means biasing the second elementinto zeroizing cooperation with the firstelement, a detent devicenormally retaining the second element in its inoperative position, azeroizing control member which when moved in one direction effectsrelease of the detent device, means for returning the control member toits original between the second element and the control,

member, and a dashpot delaying the return of the control member andhence the second element to their original position to ensure thecompletion of an initiated zeroizing operation.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an indicatingdevice, means for returning the indicating device to its zero positioncomprising two cooperating elements one of which is in drivingconnection with the indicating device, a slidable sleeve, a springhoused in the sleeve and interposed between the sleeve and the secondelement, a detent for holding the second element against movement intozeroizing cooperation with the first element until the sleeve has moveda predetermined distance to .load the spring whereafter the sleevereleases the detent to permit the spring to move the second element tozeroizing position, a fixed abutment, a return spring interposed.between the fixed abutment and the sleeve, an. abutment on the sleeve,an abutment on the second element arranged to be engaged by the abutmenton the sleeve to effect return movement of the second element when thesleeve is returned by'the return spring, and a dashpot for delaying thereturn movement of the sleeve and hence oi'tlie secondelement to itsoriginal position. a

5. In apparatus of the classdescribed, the combination of an indicating'device, means for returning the indicating device to its zero positioncomprising two cooperating elements one of which -is in drivingconnection with the indicating device the second of which is movablebetween an initial and zeroizing position, a zeroizing control member, aspring for urging the second element into zeroizing cooperation with thefirst element, the spring being loaded by movement of the controlmember, .a detent device which reis in driving connection with theindicating de vice, a slidable sleeve, a spring hours i in the sleeveand interposed between the sleeve and the second element, a detent forholding the second element against movement into zeroizing cooperationwith the first element until the sleeve has moved a predetermineddistance to load the spring whereupon the sleeve releases the detent topermit the spring to move the second element into zeroizing position, afixed abutment, a return spring interposed between the fixed abutmentand the sleeve, an abutment on the sleeve, an abutment on the secondelement arranged to be engaged by the abutment on the sleeve to eiifectreturn movement of the second element when the sleeve is returned by thereturn spring, a tube surrounding and coaxial with the tubular housing,and an annular dashpot piston in the annulus between the housing and thetube, the piston being in drive connection with the sleeve to delayreturn movement of the sleeve and hence of the secon element to itsoriginal position.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of indicatingmeans, means movable between an initial and zeroizing position torestore the indicating means to initial position, power storing means toactuate the restoring means, means to restrain the restoring means;means to release the restoring means and dashpot means to retard thereturn of the restoring means to initial position to ensure completionof an initiated restoring operation.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of anindicating device, means for restoring the indicating device to its zeroposition comprising two cooperating elements one of which is in drivingconnection with the indicating device the second of which is movablebetween an initial and zeroizing position, means biasing the secondelement into zeroizing cooperation with the first element, a detentdevice normally rea rwaves taining the second element in its initialposition, a aeroizing control member which releases the detent deqice,and means to retard the return of the second element to its originalposition to ensure the completion of an initiated zeroizing oporation.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of anindicating device, means for restoring the indicating device to its zeroposition comprising two cooperating elements one of which is in drivingconnection with the indicating device, means biasing the second elementinto ceroizing cooperation with the first element, a detent devicenormally retaining the second element in its initial position, azeroizing control member which when moved in one direction eii'ectsrelease of the detent device, means for returning the control member toits original position, means for effecting return cooperation betweenthe second element and the control member, and dashpot means to retardthe return of the control memher and hence the second element to theiroriginal position to ensure the completion of an ir1itiated zeroizingoperation.

10. In. apparatus of the class described, the combination of anindicating device, means for returning the indicating device to its zeroposition comprising two cooperating elements one of which is in drivingconnection with the indicating device, said second means being movablebetween an initial and zeroizing position, a zeroizing control member, aspring for urging the second element into zeroizing cooperation with thefirst element, the spring being loaded by movement of the controlmember, a detent device which retains the said second element until thecontrol member has moved a predetermined distance to effect loading ofthe spring, and means retarding the return of the second element to itsoriginal position. i

REUBEN ERNEST HANDFORD.

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